"I didn't mean to kill your husband or the other humans. I was feeling confused. Well, except for the Supe. He was always going to die. But since I killed your husband, what are you going to do now?"
"Sorry?" Sarah asked, her grief turning into confusion at this sick play.
"I took something from you, as his companion," Aldrich pressed, his blue eyes unblinking. "What do you intend to do now?"
"Nothing," Sarah replied, hoping this was enough.
"Nothing?"
"Yes?"
"Strange. Very strange indeed. I really thought you would be... more. But you're just average. Even below average. Why was he so desperate, I wonder?" Aldrich tilted his head, looking her up and down before his eyes settled on her belly. "Is it possible that it wasn't for you, but maybe for this little life inside of you?"
"Anyway, with that little curiosity of mine out of the way, let's get to why I'm here." He reached into the black bag. Sarah flinched, but he didn't pull out a weapon. He pulled out something she recognized instantly: Michael's phone.
"I took this from your husband before he died," Aldrich said. "But it isn't working the way it's supposed to. When I first tried, I couldn't open the screen. Now, it won't turn on at all. I need the information inside. Show me how to fix it."
Sarah's hands shook so violently she nearly dropped the phone as he pressed it into her palm. The screen was black, the charging port clogged with sea salt. She knew instantly what the "problem" was.
"The phone..." her voice cracked, her thumb brushing the dead glass. "It was protected by Face ID. It needed to see Michael's face to open. And now... it won't turn on because it's drenched in water. You ruined the electronics."
Aldrich stared at the black glass for a second, then looked up. "I see. Then give me yours."
"Oh... yes. Of course." Sarah fumbled with her pocket, her fingers slick with cold sweat. She hurriedly swiped to unlock her screen, giving away her final lifeline, and handed it to him as if it were a shield.
Aldrich took it, mimicking her grip. He stared at the colorful squares on the screen. "How do I look for something on the Google?"
"You... you open the app," Sarah answered shocked and confused.
"How do I 'open' it?"
"You press the icon. The small picture on the screen."
"I don't see it."
"You have to swipe. Slide your finger across to find the next page... there. Let me press it for you."
"Found it," Aldrich said. He stared at the search bar. "Now what?"
"Good now, press it."
"ok"
"It's done. Now you can look up what you want. Just press this bar and a keyboard will appear; you can write what you want."
"I have to write?"
"Or... or you can use voice mode."
"how"
"Press the microphone icon."
"Found it. I know what a microphone looks like. Let's see... what do I need the most right now? HOMELANDER WEAKNESS."
The screen flickered, text and images scrolling by in a blur. Aldrich watched the colors change, his face falling into a look of frustrated disappointment. He couldn't read a word of it.
"Read it,"
"It says..." Sarah swallowed, her throat dry. "It says here, on the official Vought page: 'Homelander is the crown jewel of American defense. He possesses invulnerability to all known forms of physical damage. There is no weapon on Earth, conventional or nuclear, capable of harming him. He is, for all intents and purposes, indestructible.'"
She scrolled down, her thumb trembling.
"The next one says the same thing. 'God-like durability.' 'Impervious to fire, ballistics, and extreme pressure.' It says he has no known weaknesses."
Aldrich stared at her, then at the phone. He didn't look angry. He looked bored.
"Lies. I have Homelander's powers, and that Supe's clap affected me. If I go now and clap my hands near his ear, will he be vulnerable then? fine i have much to learn from this lets look up more"
Aldrich's eyes were fixed on the screen, a predator studying a map of the world for the first time. For hours, Sarah was forced to sit beside him, her hands trembling as she navigated through the alphabet, maps, and Supe profiles. But as the sun began to dip, a cold realization settled in her chest.
He wasn't going to let her live. She had seen his face. She knew his secrets. She was a dead woman sitting beside her killer, and every minute she spent helping him was just another minute added to a countdown. If she didn't act, the "little life" Michael died for would never see the light of day.
"Are you hungry?" Sarah asked,
Aldrich, engrossed in his new weapon, didn't look up, but his jaw tightened. He was hungry. "Yes."
"I know a place. They can bring pizza to the doorstep in twenty minutes. Then we can go back to... what we were doing."
"Food brought to your door? No wonder humans are so weak."
"Give me a second. Let me call them."
Sarah slowly reached out, her fingers brushing the phone. She expected him to crush her hand, but he was too deep in the data. She stood up, walked to the kitchen counter, and dialed emergency services
"Emergency services, what is your emergency?"
"Hello I'd like to order a pizza."
There was a beat of silence on the other end. "Ma'am, are you in a situation where you can't speak freely? If there is someone in the room with you, please confirm."
"Yes one medium pepperoni pizza, please," Sarah said, her eyes fixed on Aldrich.
"So there is only one person near you."
"Yes. And I'd like to upgrade to the SUPE Deluxe. Not the normal one. The one from the news today."
The silence on the line stretched for a heartbeat before a new voice cut through, deep, calm, and completely devoid of the dispatcher's panic.
"Hello, ma'am. This is Joseph from Vought Assurance. I understand you're requesting the Supe-Deluxe response. Stay on the line," Joseph continued, the sound of keyboard tapping in the background. "We are tracking your GPS. Our 'Adjustment Team' is four minutes out. I need you to confirm your name for the record."
"Sarah," she whispered, her eyes darting to the living room. Aldrich was still staring at the screen, his fingers hovering over the glowing glass.
"Okay, Sarah. You have been very brave. I need you to keep being brave for a few more minutes. We are going to get you out of there. That is a Vought promise. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes"
Sarah hung up, the silence of the kitchen suddenly feeling like a vacuum. Four minutes. In the world of Supes, four minutes was an eternity. It was enough time for a city to burn.
CLAP
CLAP
CLAP
"That was very, very smart. You and your dead husband are both extremely resourceful. That would have completely worked if I didn't have super-hearing. You taught me something new today, Sarah. You taught me that even the 'below average' can be dangerous when they're desperate."